– Belgium stocks were higher after the close on Thursday, as gains in the Healthcare , Consumer Goods and Industrials sectors led shares higher.

At the close in Brussels, the BEL 20 rose 0.52%.

The best performers of the session on the BEL 20 were UCB SA (EBR: UCB ), which rose 2.50% or 4.25 points to trade at 174.15 at the close. Meanwhile, Argen-X (EBR: ARGX ) added 2.02% or 11.20 points to end at 564.80 and D’Ieteren NV (EBR: IETB ) was up 1.55% or 3.00 points to 196.80 in late trade.

The worst performers of the session were Galapagos NV (AS: GLPG ), which fell 3.93% or 0.98 points to trade at 23.96 at the close. Cofinimmo SA (EBR: COFB ) declined 1.26% or 0.70 points to end at 54.90 and Umicore SA (EBR: UMI ) was down 1.26% or 0.13 points to 10.15.

Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Brussels Stock Exchange by 57 to 45 and 5 ended unchanged.

Shares in Cofinimmo SA (EBR: COFB ) fell to 52-week lows; losing 1.26% or 0.70 to 54.90.

Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.51% or 13.50 to $2,665.20 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in January rose 1.50% or 1.03 to hit $69.78 a barrel, while the January Brent oil contract rose 1.40% or 1.02 to trade at $73.83 a barrel.

EUR/USD was down 0.75% to 1.05, while EUR/GBP unchanged 0.19% to 0.83.

The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.45% at 107.10.